Can you remember a time when something went wrong with a product or service you paid for? When you tell someone about it, how much of the story is about the original problem, and how much is about getting it sorted?
Did someone take responsibility and keep you informed? Or did you spend the next week chasing people who had promised to call you back?
This “recovery period” becomes part of doing business with you. Your customer is learning what they can expect from your team when things get difficult.
For me, the biggest difference comes through communication. Tell me what has happened, what you are doing about it, who is taking responsibility and what I can expect by when. If something changes, let me know. Having to chase someone for bad news adds another frustration to a situation that already needs fixing.
It can be tempting to delay that call until you have a better answer. Meanwhile, your customer is trying to plan around the information you last gave them. Keeping them informed shows you understand the problem is affecting their day too.
I’ve experienced this many times with Air New Zealand. A delayed flight, often weather related and out of their control, can disrupt people’s plans and create plenty of emotion. I admire how their team explains what has happened, acknowledges the disappointment and focuses on what they will do next.
This influences my buying decisions. I choose to fly with them, even when they are slightly more expensive, because I know they will do everything they can to get me where I need to go.
There is also something I like to call the fifth step. Once the problem has been fixed, ideally the owner, a director or a senior manager phones the customer and asks: “I believe something went wrong and we’ve fixed it. How did you find the experience, and are you satisfied?”
Your team may have completed the repair or delivered the replacement, but did the customer feel informed and cared for? Is anything still outstanding? That call helps you find out, while showing that someone senior cares enough to check. The customer expected a fix. They may be pleasantly surprised by the follow-up.
This week, phone a customer whose problem your team has recently resolved. Ask how they found the experience and whether they are satisfied. Listen for what still needs attention, then act on what you hear.
That is your fifth step. Who will you call?
